Descriptive Language Reading Analysis

Name:

Date:

Child reading a colourful book with descriptive words floating around

🎯 WALT & Success Criteria

WALT: We are learning to identify and analyse descriptive language in texts to understand how authors create vivid pictures in our minds.

Success Criteria:

✓ I can find describing words (adjectives) in a text
✓ I can explain what pictures the words create in my mind
✓ I can use evidence from the text to support my answers
✓ I can write detailed responses about the author's word choices

📖 Reading Passage

Read this passage carefully and think about the descriptive words the author uses:

The Magical Garden

Sarah pushed open the creaky wooden gate and gasped. Before her stretched the most extraordinary garden she had ever seen. Towering sunflowers swayed gently in the warm breeze, their golden faces beaming down at her like friendly giants. Delicate butterflies with shimmering wings danced from flower to flower, whilst busy bees hummed a cheerful tune.

The sweet fragrance of roses filled the air, mixing with the fresh scent of newly cut grass. In the corner, an ancient oak tree stood proudly, its thick branches reaching towards the cloudless blue sky. Beneath its shade, a crystal-clear stream bubbled merrily over smooth pebbles, creating a peaceful melody.

✏️ Analysis Questions

1. Find three describing words (adjectives) that help you picture the sunflowers. Explain what image each word creates in your mind.

2. The author writes that butterflies "danced from flower to flower". Why do you think the author chose the word "danced" instead of "flew"? What does this word choice tell us about how the butterflies moved?

3. The author describes the oak tree as "ancient" and "proud". What do these words suggest about the tree? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

4. How does the author use our senses (sight, sound, smell) to make the garden feel real? Give two examples and explain how they help you imagine being there.

5. Challenge Question: If you were to add one more sentence to this passage, what descriptive words would you use to describe something else Sarah might see, hear, or smell in this magical garden?